Seeing spots: Polka dots are back

The cheerful dot pattern comes and goes in popularity; remember the itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini? Well, don’t admit it if you do. The year was 1960.

Before that, polka dots were first popular in the 1850s, at the same time as that crazy polka dance scene. Apparently, everything was polka this and polka that back in the day, but the dots are the only thing that had staying power.

These days, we find polka dots on kids’ clothes, linens, socks and accessories like umbrellas, shopping bags and DVD holders.

There aren’t a lot of rules, but try not to mix your polka dots. It’s kind of like mixing your medications: It may result in dizziness.